Help please before this rooster becomes dinner

[worldrob]

A much different experience today. I went into the run as the dominant right away. Tim ( our Roo) was chased off right away. I had him on the run and it stayed that way. When I let the girls out into the yard I kept Tim behind for a while. Several times in the yard I walked straight at him and he ran off every time. I even had both my boys walk at him and he ran off from them as well. Clearly we will need to do this many more times, but he is young and hopefully will get it as it seems like a lot if work to make him go to oven camp if this can be dealt with.
As always byc comes through with great advice. I appreciate all of the great info this site provides. Cheers!

 

[Beekissed]

I was out training a new cockerel of mine that I obtained in a round about way but had no intention of keeping. But, I kept him. He's very mild and I doubt he will ever show aggressive tendencies, but some training was due all the same. He's a bit too young to realize that good flock masters find food for his hens and doesn't compete with them for that food, so today I threw out some BOSS for them to watch and see how he was interacting with the hens. Instead of calling them to the food or even eating any of it himself, he was busy trying to attack any hen that was eating any of the seeds.

It only took two times of voice correction and separating him from the flock before he learned what I wanted. The next time he went for a hen all I had to do was use the voice correction. I'll continue his training when I go out to feed and move around the place.

He didn't get frantic and run when being pressured....just moved off slowly and acted like he was working it all out. He's a fast learner and I expect he'll be easy to train for most anything I want from him, within the capabilities of his breed traits.

If a person is observant there are many chances to show the rooster how you want him to behave...when you feed, when you handle the flock for any reason, when you are walking past them out in the yard, etc. Practice makes perfect and some birds just need more practice, much like some dogs need more frequent training. Repetition helps the training stick and occasionally testing the training as the years go by will reinforce what was taught. I find it rather enjoyable to work with animals in this way.

 

[IttyBiddyRedHen]

I have a new cockerel recently added to the flock. Now, when I first integrated him to the main flock, he had been isolated with his other flcok member cockerel, for about 5 weeks. I was dealing with them, 1:2. When I put him in with the others, my status to him changed. Nothing else. He seemed to want to dominate me as being under his level in the pecking order.
Now, I have 2 great adult roosters also in the main flock. We all get along just fine. I let them keep their distance from me, and they have never tried to flog me. But this new young guy, he was thinking about it.
So, I stepped back out of the ring/run. I let the big boys handle his training. He needed to learn his new place in the flock pecking order, without my being in the picture. I would interact as little as possible with the flock while he was getting his own training. He has mellowed considerably now.
This is just my own experiences, mostly led by observation. I have learned much by reading on byc..and beekisseds posts. I tired at first using the dominant postures......pole, chasing, holding.....but I was seeing more success by letting the roosters train him.
I noticed yesterday, his full red single comb was bloodied up. He must have been feeling frisky yesterday, and got thumped for it.
I have also noticed, with cockerel integration, that the youngest cockerels, are NOT allowed to crow. That is a priviledge for the head roosters apparently. The ones with the hens. The cockerels are destined to stay subordinate below the lowest pullets. In eating, scratching places, dust bathing spots, roosting spots and territories. At night, when they get their evening FF, the one lowest cockerel, stays away from the food till the last pullet has ate and roosted. Only then is he allowed to come inside or to the food.
It is all just interesting, watching this chicken drama.

On a note; The RIR cockerel accidentally escaped the run yesterday, when I was putting the main flock back in it. He realized he was out, but wasn't sure what he was supposed to do next. I grabbed their scoop of scratch bribes....and he followed it right in. When I integrate younger birds, and new birds, I generally won't allow them to free range until I see they are more fully integrated and want to go back into the run. He's not quite there yet.

 

[tatertot]

Our RIR Roo has started flogging us today as well. There had been a few signs in the past where he deemed to nip at me, but today he took a run at my wife in the morning and me later in the afternoon. I did challenge him right back, even tried to catch him but he flew away, and then ran. I am prepared too try all the suggestions offered, but I have two 5 year old sons, should I be worried about their safety?
Hopefully he gets the message soon, because I won't mess around if the kids are at risk.
Rob

twins huh...IV got 6 year old twins...that's why I do not have a roo..
Grab him at night and pop those spurs off...watch YouTube spur removal for directions...sounds easy enough...
Goodluck

 

[tatertot]

One byc member said to pin him to the ground and grab his comb...hold him pinned til he holds still...she also Carey's him on his back like holding a newborn baby...she also wont let him mate with hens while she's around...so far so good

 

[Beekissed]

I was out training a new cockerel of mine that I obtained in a round about way but had no intention of keeping. But, I kept him. He's very mild and I doubt he will ever show aggressive tendencies, but some training was due all the same. He's a bit too young to realize that good flock masters find food for his hens and doesn't compete with them for that food, so today I threw out some BOSS for them to watch and see how he was interacting with the hens. Instead of calling them to the food or even eating any of it himself, he was busy trying to attack any hen that was eating any of the seeds.

It only took two times of voice correction and separating him from the flock before he learned what I wanted. The next time he went for a hen all I had to do was use the voice correction. I'll continue his training when I go out to feed and move around the place.

He didn't get frantic and run when being pressured....just moved off slowly and acted like he was working it all out. He's a fast learner and I expect he'll be easy to train for most anything I want from him, within the capabilities of his breed traits.

If a person is observant there are many chances to show the rooster how you want him to behave...when you feed, when you handle the flock for any reason, when you are walking past them out in the yard, etc. Practice makes perfect and some birds just need more practice, much like some dogs need more frequent training. Repetition helps the training stick and occasionally testing the training as the years go by will reinforce what was taught. I find it rather enjoyable to work with animals in this way.

I've not had to repeat this bird's training on food aggression and I've noticed him calling to his hens now for choice bits of food. At the feeder he is waiting politely while they eat, though this has left an opening for one of the young pullets to start showing food aggression....she even pecked my hand while I was dispensing feed..so she got trained. No one bites the hand that feeds them at this place!

I noticed she was bullying other hens that came to the feed also, so when she rushed the bucket and stuck her head in, I grabbed her head quickly, but softly...this triggers a panic move of pulling back and flapping wings, then I give a little shake and flip her to one side, much like I saw her just do to the hen she bullied. She instantly moved into a corner of the coop and all the other birds watching didn't move towards the food either. Suddenly, I was the bully hen at the feeder but without the use of a sharp beak.

I've not had to repeat her training either...she is now more respectful when I'm filling the feeder and doesn't rush in to be first at the trough. I often do this type of training to birds that climb onto and in the feed trough...just a few pecks on the back or side will get them to eat in a more mannerly way and keeps calm at feeding time.

So far the new guy is really shaping up to being a great rooster and has shown himself to be intelligent enough to learn a lesson and retain the information.

 

[lrayle]

I have held my rooster down twice till last when he wanted to peck at me so I held him down again and I tell you he has done so much better He has not one time offered to come at me I really think that it is working and I hope to be friends with him someday

 

[tatertot]

Question? IV got a Bo pullet that sneaks up on me and bites my leg...then squats for me...what is up with that?
I do not have any roos

 

[Beekissed]

I have no idea...but I wouldn't let her bite me like that. I'd train that right out of her...she's wanting mated but that's the wrong way to go about it. Sort of like when a girl hits a boy to let him know she likes him, I guess.

 

[tatertot]

I don't let her..how do I train her not to